Rapper DMX Is On The Verge Of Death

The legendary rapper DMX is currently on life support.

By Hayden Mears | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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Just two weeks after Arrested Development actress Jessica Walter passed away, the entertainment industry has suffered another horrible blow. The Guardian brings word that rapper DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, suffered a massive heart attack on Saturday night and is currently in the ICU. His lawyer, Murray Richman, confirmed the news to The Associated Press on Sunday.

DMX’s family said in a statement: “On Friday night … our brother, son, father, and colleague DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, was admitted to White Plains hospital, facing serious health issues.”

The folks at White Plains Hospital in New York are currently caring for DMX, who, as of this report, is still on life support and unlikely to fully recover. According to his former agent, he has suffered “lung and brain failure” and is in what multiple sources have called a “vegetative state.” It is unclear if he will survive or not, but the doctors caring for him have said that the prognosis does not look good.

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DMX’s first studio album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, topped the Billboard 200 chart upon its release back in 1998, and the acclaimed rapper has only continued to climb from there. His other chart-toppers include …And Then There Was X,” Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, The Great Depression and Grand Champ. His decades-spanning career saw the release of seven acclaimed studio albums, a handful of which have earned him several Grammy nominations.

In addition to his successful rap career, DMX has also enjoyed some considerable success as an actor. He starred in the 1998 film Belly, as well as in Exit Wounds with Steven Seagal. His other film credits include Cradle 2 the Grave and Romeo Must Die, appearing alongside Jet Li in both of those movies.

In 2020, DMX and Snoop Dogg faced off in a Verzuz battle, attracting the attention of hundreds of thousands of viewers.

dmx with jet li

This is awful, heartbreaking news and a devastating blow to the music world. DMX is one of the most popular rappers to ever grace the music scene, and he has brought more to the genre than some may realize. In an effort to bring his fans together, his family has organized a vigil outside the hospital he is currently at. The vigil is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

Multiple outlets have speculated that the rapper’s heart attack was the result of drug abuse. While DMX does have an extended history of substance abuse, there is no evidence that that history is what caused this latest health issue. Luckily, his lawyer was quick to shut down talk of that being the cause of his health issues. And he is right to do so. That should not be the focus right now. Instead, remember what DMX did for so many people. Remember the lives he changed and the joy he brought. That is his legacy. That is what we should choose to remember.

In 2019, DMX cancelled a number of shows so that he could check himself into rehab and begin healing. Ever the gracious artist, he frequently thanked his fans for their continued support.

Our thoughts, prayers, and well wishes go out to DMX and his family.